1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to a portable radio information terminal and a screen calling method. More particularly, the present invention relates to a portable radio information terminal for displaying a message received and stored in a memory on an embedded screen display unit and, in particular, relates to a pager and a screen calling method adopted in the pager.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A portable radio information terminal is a handy and portable apparatus that is capable of functioning as a terminal of a communication network. In recent years, there have been implemented portable radio information terminals with a variety of configurations and functions to meet a rapidly growing demand in a wide range of applications in the field of information communication.
An example of such a portable radio information terminal is a pager which is widely used for carrying out communications of radio signals.
An early pager generates bell sound when a calling signal is received from a radio base station. A radio calling signal is capable of calling the user carrying this pager even if the user is present at a separated place. The radio calling signal is normally used to urge the user to respond to the calling signal by using a wire telephone closest to the user.
A signal generated by the radio base station is not merely ended with such a calling signal. A signal generated by the radio base station is also capable of conveying information. On the pager side, on the other hand, information conveyed by an incoming signal is decoded and a result of the decoding is stored in a memory unit and displayed on a liquid-crystal display panel as a message. A pager having functions to decode, store and display such information has been developed and widely used at the present time.
Such a pager is designed to be capable of operating in a plurality of states each referred to hereafter as a phase for different functions. The states include a message storing phase of organizing message texts each conveyed by an incoming signal into message files stored in a memory unit, a message displaying phase of displaying a message text stored in a message file on a screen and a message manipulating phase of manipulating a stored message file.
Some of the phases are executed only when requested by the user. A phase that waits for the user to enter a command displays a screen requesting the user to enter a command.
In the case of the message manipulating phase of manipulating a stored message file, for example, a message manipulating screen is displayed. The message manipulating screen informs the user that an operation can be carried out on a message text. For example, the user is capable of making a request for a lock operation to prevent a message text from being deleted or a delete operation to erase an unnecessary message text.
The message displaying phase for displaying a message text on a screen is provided with a message displaying screen. Displayed on a liquid-crystal display panel embedded in the pager, the message displaying screen is capable of showing a message text composed of up to typically 4 lines each comprising a maximum of typically 20 characters.
In the case of a message text composed of a number of lines, the user is capable of carrying out an operation to scroll up or down the message text, allowing all the lines to be displayed sequentially.
In the conventional pager, a message manipulating screen appears as a subsequent screen after the end of a message text. That is to say, a transition from a message displaying screen for displaying a message text stored in the memory unit to a message manipulating screen takes place automatically following the end of a message text.
In a configuration wherein a message manipulating screen is displayed automatically following the end of a message text as a screen subsequent to a message displaying screen as described above, it is necessary for the user to carry out a scroll operation repeatedly several times until the end of a currently displayed message text is reached.
As a result, if the message text is long or if processing of a message file containing the message text is required while the user is looking at a middle of the this message text, the operation to be carried out by the user becomes complicated, that is, it is necessary for the user to carry out a scroll-up operation repeatedly several times until the end of a currently displayed message text is reached for example, resulting in poor operatability.
It is thus an object of the present invention addressing the problem of calling a message manipulating screen encountered in the conventional portable radio information terminal as described above to provide a new portable radio information terminal which is capable of changing from a certain phase to another phase immediately in the course of processing at the certain phase in response to an operation carried out by the user and to provide a screen displaying method for the new portable radio information terminal.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a screen displaying method for a portable radio information terminal which is provided with an image displaying unit capable of storing an incoming message in a message file, fetching the stored message from the message file and displaying at least the fetched message on a screen and provided with an input device capable of at least inputting a command for controlling an operation and capable of operating at a plurality of phases to execute functions different from each other. With the screen displaying method, when an input command is generated by the input device in the course of an operation carried out at an arbitrarily determined first phase of the same plurality of phases, the operation carried out at the first phase is suspended, a transition from the first phase to a second phase determined arbitrarily in advance among the same plurality of phases is executed and a screen of the second phase is called and displayed.
Thus, by merely carrying out a simple input operation, it is possible to execute a sequence of steps of: causing the input device to generate an input command in the course of an operation carried out at an arbitrarily determined first phase; suspending the operation carried out at the first phase; making a transition from the first phase to a second phase determined arbitrarily in advance right away; and calling and displaying a screen of the second phase right away.
As a result, it is no longer necessary to carry out a complicated operation such as execution of a scroll operation several times as is the case with the conventional portable radio information terminal and, hence, there is provided an effect of improved operatability.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable radio information terminal provided with an image displaying unit capable of storing an incoming message in a message file, fetching the stored message from the message file and displaying at least the fetched message on a screen and provided with an input device capable of at least inputting a command for controlling an operation and capable of operating at a plurality of phases to execute functions different from each other. The portable radio information terminal at least has the following three means: a transition-request-input detecting means for detecting an input signal generated by the input device in the course of an operation carried out at any current phase of the same plurality of phases to request an inter-phase transition; an inter-phase transition means for suspending the operation carried out at the current phase and for executing an inter-phase transition from the current phase to another phase determined by a result of detection output by the transition-request-input detecting means; and a phase-processing executing means for at least calling and displaying a screen of the other phase to which the inter-phase transition has been executed by the inter-phase transition means on the image displaying unit.
Thus, by using the transition-request-input detecting means, the inter-phase transition means and the phase-processing executing means, it is possible to provide a portable radio information terminal capable of executing a sequence including the steps including the detecting an input signal requesting an inter-phase transition; executing an inter-phase transition from a current phase to another phase determined by a result of detection the input signal; and at least calling and displaying a screen of the other phase.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording medium used for storing programs fetchable and executable by a computer employed in a portable radio information terminal which is also provided with an image displaying unit and an input device and is capable of operating at a plurality of phases wherein the programs at least include the following three means: a transition-request-input detecting means for detecting an input signal generated by the input device in the course of an operation carried out at any current phase of the same plurality of phases to request an inter-phase transition; an inter-phase transition means for suspending the operation carried out at the current phase and for executing an inter-phase transition from the current phase to another phase determined by a result of detection output by the transition-request-input detecting means; and a phase-processing executing means for at least calling and displaying a screen of the other phase to which the inter-phase transition has been executed by the inter-phase transition means on the image displaying unit.
Thus, by incorporating the recording medium in a portable radio information terminal comprising at least a central processing unit, an image displaying unit, an input device and a memory unit for storing messages and for storing the three means each as an operating procedure executable by the central processing unit and by letting the central processing unit sequentially execute the means each as an operating procedure, it is possible to provide the portable radio information terminal with functions of: detecting an input signal requesting an inter-phase transition; executing an inter-phase transition from a current phase to another phase determined by a result of detection of the input signal; and at least calling and displaying a screen of the other phase.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus which includes: an embedded central processing unit; an embedded storage unit for storing programs that can be fetched for execution by the central processing unit. The programs stored in the storage unit at least include the following three means: a transition-request-input detecting means for detecting an input signal generated by the input device in the course of an operation carried out at any current phase of a plurality of phases to request an inter-phase transition; an inter-phase transition means for suspending the operation carried out at the current phase and: for executing an inter-phase transition from the current phase to another phase determined by a result of detection output by the transition-request-input detecting means; and a phase-processing executing means for at least calling and displaying a screen of the other phase to which the inter-phase transition has been executed by the inter-phase transition means on the image displaying unit.
Thus, by incorporating the information processing apparatus in a portable radio information terminal along with components such as a communication mechanism unit, a memory unit for storing received messages, an input device, an image displaying unit for displaying information such as a message and a power-supply circuit, it is possible to implement a portable radio information terminal with a simple configuration for executing functions of: detecting an input signal requesting an inter-phase transition; executing an inter-phase transition from a current phase to another phase determined by a result of detection of the input signal; and at least calling and displaying a screen of the other phase.